Croatia: New haven for the jet set

HOTEL breakfast rooms are again noisy with a range of languages in the land of a thousand islands and for visitors absent for many years, it is a heartening sign of the revival of the beautiful resorts of Croatia - Europe's new Cote d'Azur.

HOTEL breakfast rooms are again noisy with a range of languages in the land of a thousand islands and for visitors absent for many years, it is a heartening sign of the revival of the beautiful resorts of Croatia - Europe's new Cote d'Azur.

Discriminating Britons have always been attracted to the natural beauty and history of what is now one of the world's newest independent nations, born only 10 years ago from the former Yugoslavia through a time of terrible tragedy and pain.

Now visitors have returned in their numbers to this peaceful place, many with a shrewd eye on the property potential.

Tourists are viewing the new ocean-side properties and apartment conversions created in the Italianate pastel-fronted villas once owned by rich merchants.

International film and sports stars love the Croatian rivieras, and some are already browsing the market for getaway holiday homes.

Prices are reasonable for an area which could match resorts like the old St Tropez, and which boasts the attraction of flights from the UK taking little more than two hours.

Opatija, on the Kvarna Riviera, on the east coast of the Istrian peninsula, is a classy town, clean and tidy, friendly and, like most places in the area, has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

With its Adriatic/Mediterranean climate, it became a health spa and was once one of Europe's most fashionable spots.

Parks and gardens bursting with the colours of magnolia, wisteria and mimosa thrive, and for visitors to keep in shape they have a 12km waterfront promenade for a jog or stride beside the gulf. You can even cruise to Venice for a day trip.

European kings, emperors, and music celebrities including Puccini, Mahler and Gigli, visited for their "R and R", and many of the stars were guests at the Grand Hotel Kvarner, built in 1884, and finely situated for the town and beaches.

A half-hour ferry ride gets you to Cres, one of Croatia's 1,185 offshore islands and one of the few remaining Mediterranean habitats of the white-headed griffon vulture, with its stunning, three-metre wing span. The island's eco-centre is an idealistic hospital and rest home for injured birds.

On the drive across inland Istria, heading for Rovinj, lunch at a terrace restaurant in Hum, a village which claims to be the world's smallest town - it includes a choice from the region's 400 fish varieties.

Rovinj is an ancient fishing port with cobbled streets and impressive bars - such as Valentino, apparently hewn from the rocks alongside the amazingly clear ocean.

They even provide cushions to sit on the rocks, sipping your Istrian wine, with the sea lapping at your feet. The small islands across the water include Red Island, 15 minutes away by boat, which has the Hotel Istra, a complex with plenty of leisure facilities.

Pula, at the southern end of the peninsula, was an important Roman base and has a magnificent amphitheatre, more than 2,000 years old, which now hosts top opera, music and pop concerts.